CURATED BY – UMESH KUSHWAHA | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Satna, In the wake of the recent report released by the Competition Commission of India (CCI), which highlights the serious anti-competitive practices of e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart, traders across the country, led by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAT), are going to launch a massive nationwide campaign to demand immediate action against these companies. This decision was taken today at the conclusion of the two-day National Trade Summit organized by CAT in New Delhi.

Over 350 business leaders from across the country in a unanimous resolution said, "The CCI report has highlighted several unethical practices that have had a severe impact on small and medium traders. These include deep discounting, preferential treatment to select sellers and violation of competition norms. These findings further confirm that these e-commerce platforms are adopting practices that distort the level playing field, causing irreparable harm to millions of traders and retailers. Therefore, we urge CCI to take appropriate action and immediately initiate prosecution against Amazon and Flipkart to move towards justice and ensure fair competition."

This nationwide campaign aims to build pressure on CCI to initiate strict legal proceedings against Amazon and Flipkart who have violated Indian laws and harmed the interests of small businesses. Traders will unite and demand immediate and strict action, including prosecution under relevant sections of the law.

Addressing the summit, former Union Minister and CAT Advisor Smt. Smriti Irani emphasized the important role of small traders in the Indian economy. He said, "Small traders currently make up 90% of the Indian retail market and contribute to 45% of the country's exports. Their trade turnover was $480 billion in 2023 and this figure is estimated to reach $1.3 trillion by 2025. Therefore, we should focus on promoting exports and improving the ease of doing business for traders."

In addition, he also said that "71% of online orders are fulfilled by small traders, especially from rural areas. We have to make efforts to assess whether these traders are benefiting from the shift towards e-commerce and provide them with the necessary support, understanding the importance of recognizing their potential."

Launch of a big campaign for the upgradation of traders across the country (Jain)

CAT National Organization Minister and Madhya Pradesh President Bhupendra Jain said that CAT has also decided to launch an important initiative for the upgradation of traders and small business owners. The campaign aims to enable traders to compete in the changing business landscape by providing them with digital skills, access to modern tools and resources.

The initiative will provide training to small traders and retailers on e-commerce, digital marketing, financial literacy and business growth using social media. This will ensure that Indian traders can leverage new technologies and platforms to make their businesses competitive and future-ready.

Being the backbone of India's economy, traders must be at the forefront of the digital revolution. CAIT will strive to garner active support from the Government for this campaign to ensure the overall growth of traders in the country.

The launch of this dual campaign of prosecution and empowerment represents a turning point for India's trade sector. "We call upon the Government, enforcement agencies and the wider business community to join this fight for justice and progress" - said the business leaders.